Journalism students from across the country came to the Walter Cronkite School this summer to report on post-9/11 veterans for the latest Carnegie-Knight News21 multimedia investigative piece, “Back Home.”
Post-9/11 veterans coming home from their service are not receiving the sufficient benefits that they were promised before they left. In fact, many struggle with the long-term effects of paying off hospital bills from physical and mental injuries in addition to finding a job, reporters found.
“If I had to isolate some information from the rest, I believe the unemployment rates and suicide rates amongst veterans were very astounding,” News21 Executive Editor Jacqueline Petchel said.
According to data from News21, “Veterans are killing themselves at more than double the rate of the civilian population, with about 49,000 taking their own lives between 2005 and 2011.”
Cronkite School senior Caitlin Cruz is a News21 Women and Philanthropy Fellow who contributed written stories and still photography to the investigation. In addition to multimedia, Cruz also specialized in gender-related issues involved with the armed forces.
Cruz said one in five women at the Veterans Affairs screens positive for Military Sexual Trauma, which is defined as the psychological and physical effects felt after experiencing a sexual assault or harassment in the military during active duty or in preparation for active service.
“It’s such an insular society that the men and women whom it affects do not expect it to happen because there is this great sense of honor and trust in the military community,” Cruz said. “When it happens, their lives are turned completely around.”
Cronkite School graduate student Rachel Leingang wrote stories, created videos and ran a blog for “Back Home.” She said her story on the National Guard in North Dakota is her proudest contribution to the investigation.
Leingang, a News21 Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation Fellow, said she took advantage of the opportunity as soon as she heard about the Carnegie-Knight program.
“News21 was one of the things I needed to do,” Leingang said. “I learned the most from this program in all of my years in journalism. I think I grew so much as a reporter.”
“Back Home” began in January 2013 with a video-conference seminar led by Leonard Downie, Jr., a Cronkite School professor and News21 editor.
Following that seminar, 26 journalism students from across the country spent their summer months at the Cronkite School finishing “Back Home.”
“Students got to interact with people from other places because in the real world, not everyone you work with will be from ASU,” Petchel said. “They had a real-life newsroom experience.”
Every piece of media in the online publication is original work by students and advised by staff involved. Petchel said the project brings prestige, recognition and pride to its students and advisers.
“This is a signature program for the Cronkite School,” Petchel said. “Our stories are being picked up by some of the best newspapers in the nation.”
Every year, News21 collaborates with numerous colleges to raise awareness on different subjects with factual, accurate news. In the past, News21 investigated transportation, food safety, and voting rights.
There will be a Must See Mondays speaker panel featuring the Cronkite students and staff associated with News21 on Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. in the First Amendment Forum of the Cronkite building.
“I’m proud of what my colleagues and I did,” Leingang said. “The caliber of professionalism and attention to detail proves there will be a great future generation of journalists coming, and I am excited.”
Editor’s note: Mauro Whiteman, who participated in the News21 program this summer, is executive editor of the Downtown Devil. He did not contribute to the reporting or editing of this article.
Contact the reporter at samantha.incorvaia@asu.edu
